Pope John Paul II shot (1981)

Daily Mirror dated Thursday May 14th 1981

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Polish born Pope John Paul II was shot and badly wounded as he entered St Peter's Square in the Vatican by a Turkish gunman, Mehmet Ali Ağca, who was immediately captured. The Pope recovered after major surgery and went on to survive another assassination attempt in 1982. The gunman was given a life sentence, but pardoned in 2000 and extradited to Turkey where he was arrested for an earlier murder and given 10 years and released in 2010.

Pope John Paul I dies

Daily Mail dated 30th September  1978

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Pope John Paul I actually reigned (if that's the right word) for 34 days inclusive (26th August to 28th September 1978) which makes his the 10th shortest Papacy. If you are interested in such things there are several conspiracy theories surrounding his sudden death. Try Google.

General Booth Memorial

Daily Mirror not dated but probably 21st or 22nd August 1912 

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William Booth was born in Nottingham in 1829 and founded the Salvation Army in 1865. He died at the age of 83 on 20th August 1912.

Sir Winston Churchill Funeral Plans

Evening Standard dated Monday January 25^th 1965

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Sir Winston Churchill, ex Conservative Prime Minister, ex Home Secretary, ex First Lord of the Admiralty, ex Secretary of State for War, ex Secretary of State for Air, ex Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nobel Prize winner, author, war correspondent, polo player, front line soldier, prisoner of war, speech maker, diplomat, artist, butterfly breeder and amateur bricklayer died on January 24^th at the age of 90.  

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Churchill’s death was front-page news around the World.

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His state funeral was attended by representatives from 110 nations. US President Lyndon (LBJ) Johnson didn’t make it. David Ben-Gurion of Israel walked from the Savoy Hotel in the Strand. The Queen, Prince Philip, Charles, Princess Magaret and the Queen Mother attended, as did Prime Minister Harold Wilson and French Premier Charles De Gaulle.

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Born in Saint Lucia, Emile Ford came to Britain in the mid 1950’s and, along with his backing band The Checkmates, had a number 1 hit with ‘What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?’ in 1959. He had 3 more top 20 hits but hasn’t reached number 1 again, yet.

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John Heenan became the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster on September 2^nd 1963 and was created a Cardinal by Pope Paul VI February 2^nd 1965. He died of a heart attack at the age of 70 in 1975.

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I can’t quite understand this item. Is it sloppy reading on my part or sloppy writing on their part? Was Mr Arcadius Skidelsky dead in 1965? If he gave her the jewels, when did he pawn them? Why use the word ‘boudoir’? Is it used to imply a relationship between the woman and the Mr Skidelsky? But surely his executors chose her. But wouldn’t they wait until he was dead before executing the Will? It wasn’t immediately obvious but presumably the word ‘Image’ in the headline refers to he resemblance to his late wife. I’ve had to read the item half a dozen times to come up with this drivel. Was it worth it? Who cares?

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Abram (Bram) Fischer had been a long time member of the Communist Party and supporter of Apartheid in South Africa. He was arrested in November 1965, and in March 1966 was put tried for promoting communism and conspiracy to overthrow the Government. He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in May 1975.

In December 2012 Bloemfontein Airport was renamed Bram Fischer International in his memory.

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Sounds like the record buying public had good sense, and an ear for music, when they put the Righteous Brothers’ unforgettable version of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ at number 1 rather than the Cilla Black offering.

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As it turned out Terry Downes first fight with Willie Pastrano on November 30^th 1964 turned out to be his last professional bout. Pastrano only had 1 more fight – he lost against José Torres in March 1965.

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A full-page advert for the European Premiere of that perennial favourite ‘The Sound of Music’ to be held on March 29^th. It had already been premiered in New York and Los Angeles and was nominated for 10 Oscars; winning 5.

The Shroud of Turin

Daily Sketch dated Monday March 7^th 1955

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This is very much a personal view by Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC and offers no scientific evidence for or against the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin.  In 1954 Cheshire, having been inspired by a photo of the Shroud face while recuperating from tuberculosis, toured Britain with an exhibition of Shroud photographs.

Extensive scientific tests were carried out on the Shroud in October 1979 and in 1988 radiocarbon dating was done on some samples of the cloth, the results of which indicated that the shroud was no older than the 13^th Century. Some authorities claimed that the samples were from a medieval repair rather than the original Shroud material, so the controversy continues but one mystery remains, apart from whether it is the image of Jesus or not, how was it made? 

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The shooting of Arthur Leonard by men from the Ulster Special Constabulary aka B-Specials was widely condemned in Southern Ireland as murder by trigger happy part-time policemen. The USC had been formed as a reserve police force to be used only at times of heightened threat against Northern Ireland. The IRA Cross-Border Campaign of 1955 - 1962 was one such time.

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No CCTV, cash payments for everything and a description that would fit hundreds if not thousands of men, I think even Fabian of the Yard would have been scratching his head. I can’t find any follow up to this story.

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Canadian born Paul Carpenter was a stage and radio actor, a familiar face in British cinema from 1946 and on TV from 1953 until his death in 1964 when he collapsed in his theatre dressing room at the age of 46. 

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Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer whose career lasted from 1914 until this worldwide farewell tour in 1955. He died in 1957.

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Leonard John Coley was tried for the murder of his half-sister Irene but I can’t find out what happened to him. The trial records at the National Archive are closed until 2030. He is not on the list of 12 people (11 men and Ruth Ellis) that were hung in 1955.

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It’s the mid-1950’s so there must be a reference to UFO’s. Mr Girvan’s ‘Flying Saucers and Commonsense’ can be picked up on Amazon UK for as little as £3.76 or as much as £86.46. George Adamski claimed to have photographed UFO’s and even to have had a Close Encounter of the Third Kind with a Venusian called Orthon.

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This very disparaging review is of Peter Ustinov’s play ‘The Moment of Truth’ which, after a short theatre run, was made for TV and starred Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasance. By one of those coincidences that make you look over your shoulder fearfully, it just happens that the play is being revived in the theatre for the first time from June 26Click to Read^th until July 20^th 2013 at the Southwark Playhouse. 

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One of the lesser-known cartoon strips ‘Harry’ about which I can find no information except that it ran in the Sketch from at least 1953 until 1955. I’m not sure that the visual ‘joke’ works but I do admire the draughtsmanship.

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Apparently there was a crisis in British football in March 1955 and I seem to have missed it. Ah well, not to worry. Someone might find this story interesting.